A Faith Worth Living Out

This is the 100th post for The Gospel Outpost. To be completely honest, I wasn’t entirely sure I would get to this point. When I began this endeavor, I did so for a couple of reason. First and foremost was the idea that our faith in Jesus Christ is meant to be more than simply a Sunday morning activity. It is meant to be lived out in the communities and in our daily lives.Then the news hit this week. For whatever reason, the animosity seemed to reach a fever pitch. The brazenness of hate groups actively spewing their rhetoric on full display. Attacking one another, ending in one murdered and nineteen injured. A couple days afterwards, a car was driven into a crowd of people intentionally as an act of terror.

The world is angry. Everyone is screaming and no one is listening. Now more than ever, I am convinced that the world needs the revitalization of those who follow Christ to be fully living out the faith the hold. I am convinced the world needs havens of hope and love. The world needs Gospel Outposts as shining beacons of the transformative love of Jesus Christ.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

– Matthew 6:14-16

Salvation is by grace and grace alone. Yet, it is that salvation that fuels the light on the hill. When the Spirit begins weaving his presence through the fabric of our existence, the world notices. Our faith is worth expressing beyond the Sunday morning experience. Now is the time to rise out with a radical outpouring of the love God has given us on the world crying out in anguish.

Look to the Cross, Not to The Culture. For so long there has been the idea that, by following the law and culture, you are following Christ. With the various shifts in culture, this is something we simply can no longer do. Establishing Gospel Outposts will require boldness to live out your faith, often times standing in the face of culture. We do not follow the tides that sweep people into sin and despair. We stand on the firm, unshakable foundation of Jesus Christ that cannot be moved.

Cast No Stones. Too often, I see Christians eager to point out the problems of society and claiming the crux of change rests solely on someone else. Christ did not come to spew hatred and judgment but to offer eternal life to each and every one of us. No one is purely innocent and all of us are sinners. Just as Christ took the time to raise us up and walk with us, we do not come to cast stones at the sinners but to point to Jesus Christ as our hope.

Maintain Integrity of Speech This is connected with the previous one. It is the easy and lazy option to go on social media and blast those whose opinion is different than yours. This, however, does not represent the Gospel. Let your words speak the truth and love that comes from God.

See The Image of God in Others Everyone is made in the image of God. Even those you disagree with are made in the divine image of the God. When you speak to or of a person, they are not opponents, members of a political affiliation, or your enemy. We are all made in the image of God and we are all in desparate need a Savior.

Now is the time, as brothers and sisters, to stand out for the faith. The world is primed to receive the love and light of Christ. We need only to become available. The light of Christ is in us and able to radiate through us and into our world. Now is the time to allow our faith not make a difference in our who live. Now is the time to create Gospel Outposts and live our faith out every day.